1
Sofie Scout – Road to Poland
Available on: iOS + Android
I have a soft spot for this one since I was a Girl Scout myself a long, long time ago – and especially since it’s all for a good cause! Sofie Scout might look like your average endless runner at first glance, but buying it for a mere $2.99 will help real-life scouts Juno and Ellie raise enough funds to get to the World Scout Jamboree.
And it’s not an easy trek to Gdansk, Poland, as the runner will have you leaping over all kinds of obstacles from tricky ravines to wayward chickens. It’s a long way to go to raise £3,600, so every bit helps!
2
Shelter from the Storm
Available on: Android + Steam
Ah, the humble point-and-click. It’s one of the main reasons I got into gaming in the first place, and Shelter from the Storm is the perfect example of why it works so well on mobile. The short-but-sweet adventure will have you tapping away in a haunted mansion in an attempt to escape the horror you’ve somehow stumbled into, but the hilarious narrator’s witty quips make everything loads more entertaining.
And it’s wonderfully optimised for touchscreens too, with no ads, no microtransactions, and nothing to distract you from the task at hand. I had an absolute blast with this one, so if you’re curious, there’s nothing stopping you from giving it a go!
3
Don’t Starve Together
Available on: iOS + Android
The title basically says it all. This multiplayer survival adventure will have you putting your wits together with your besties online to try and survive a world of weird creatures and hidden secrets. Dangers lurk around every corner, but thankfully, you’ve got your friends trying to survive alongside you so that you don’t, well, starve together.
The co-op adventure has been properly optimised for mobile with cloud saves, controller compatibility, and UI that’s been revamped for the touchscreen, and if you’re keen on seeing how it all plays out, our Don’t Starve Together review should give you an idea.
4
Poinpy
Publisher: Netflix
Available on: iOS + Android
While Poinpy was technically already released previously as a Netflix exclusive, I feel like I still need to highlight its re-release this time around since it’s coming back to mobile as an entirely free endeavour. You definitely don’t see that every day, especially with something as enjoyable as this one.
I gave Poinpy such a glowing review back then, and rightly so. It’s a roguelike vertical platformer where you pull back to launch yourself into the air, with one-thumb controls that are absolutely perfect for mobile. Given there are no ads or microtransactions here, I’d say it’s worth leaving the devs a tip – which you apparently can in-game!
5
Highway Heroes: Truck Tycoon
Available on: iOS + Android
Tycoon sims are a dime a dozen on mobile, but perhaps truck-based ones where you manage an entire fleet and expand your empire across the highways of the USA aren’t as common. Highway Heroes will have you building your truck tycoon with plenty of customisations to tinker around with – but it’s not all sunshine and butterflies, as you’ll also have to deal with rising fuel costs and tricky loads.
Nobody said it’d be easy building an empire, after all, but the rewards you’ll reap for all your hard work undoubtedly make it all worthwhile!
